The present invention is directed to a tool for electrically isolating circuitry on a printed wiring board from a component pin after the pin has been soldered in place on the board.
The concept of transferring signals to and from conductive foil strips (often called traces) formed on a printed circuit board, by way of connectors having their pins soldered to the traces, is old and well-established. Usually the end of a trace is enlarged to form a metallic pad having a hole therethrough which accepts a connector pin. The pin is soldered to the trace to provide an electrical connection and mechanical bond therebetween.
It is often the case that after a printed wiring board has been fabricated, and components, (such as connectors and other components having rigid metallic terminals posts or pins) have been mounted thereon and soldered thereto, system design changes, are made which necessitate the isolation of circuitry from a particular component pin or pins. One method for accomplishing this end is to unsolder the component pin or pins, remove the component, enlarge the hole and reinstall the component. This method is time consuming and involves the risk of damaging the board. In some instances, it may be possible to remove the pin and drill a hole elsewhere in the board to accept a new pin, but this method is not always possible if the board is densely packed or if the component pin must be at a precise location on the board.